July 13th, 1914: Jack McGee landed a Burgess-Wright biplane in Westfield. This was the first plane landing in Westfield’s history. Exemplifying the rapidly-expanding technology of the time, this was a contributing factor in the construction of Barnes Airport in 1928.
In the summer of 1923, the Chamber of Commerce suggested that the Hampton Plains could be used as the site of the airport, and the army quickly supported the opinion. In the fall, a man named Vincent E. Barnes donated land, and in the fall, approximately 100 people had volunteered to start clearing brush on the property.
The airport strip was informally dedicated on October 12th, 1923 so that it could officially land nine planes from Boston. The planes’ arrival was a highly anticipated event, and it was estimated that 10,000 people came to watch. Barnes Airport held an air show the following summer that drew a crowd of around 15,000 people.
The airstrip acquired a hangar and a regular air service by 1928. To celebrate its prosperity, the airport was formally dedicated on May 25th of that year, and another air show was given.
With the airport gradually expanding, more room was needed for runway extensions. Vincent Barnes’ daughter, Sadie B. Knox, followed her father’s example of generosity, and in 1950 she donated additional land so expansions could be made to the airstrip.
The U.S. Army Corps began using Barnes Airport for training purposes around the start of the Second World War. The field was set to train 2,500 soldiers, house 1,000 of them, and base 52 transports. Charles “Chuck” O’Connor was in charge of training approximately 100 potential pilots.
O’Connor recalled that Jack McGee was the person who inspired him to learn how to fly – he first saw McGee at a flying exhibition in Willimansett in 1915. He remembered that McGee knocked down part of the race track fence during one of his take-offs. O’Connor was fascinated by the idea of aviation, and he quickly set off on a path that would later allow him to train others.
The Massachusetts Air National Guard began operating out of Barnes Airport in 1947 with a special Tactical Fighter Group. With approximately 700 guardsmen and 300 technicians employed, the unit that operates today is the 104th Fighter Wing. Colonel Robert T. Brooks, Jr. serves as the Fighter Wing’s Commander, Col. James J. Keefe as Vice Commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Todd R. Fappiano as the Command Chief.
Please visit www.104fw.ang.af.mil for more information on the 104th Fighter Wing.
